Looking for some new biography and memoir books for your library? There are so many new releases this week that you’re bound to find a new favorite. You can pick up new books from Cindy Collins, Paula May, Curtis '50 Cent' Jackson, Blake Gopnik, and more. Enjoy your new biography and memoir books. Happy reading!
The month of April was a great time for readers with a host of exciting releases from bestselling authors. There were so many page-turning novels that captivated us from cover to cover this month. If you want to catch up on the books everyone was talking about, here are our choices for the buzziest books of April. Happy reading!
Release Date: April 21, 2020
The sixth book in the Memory Man series by New York Times Bestselling Author David Baldacci... Amos Decker and his FBI colleague Alex Jamieson have been called to London, North Dakota. They instantly sense that the thriving fracking town is ripe for trouble. The promise of a second gold rush has attracted many newcomers hoping for a windfall, and the community is growing faster than houses can be built. The sudden boom has brought a slew of problems with it... including murder.
Release Date: April 7, 2020
A recent Oprah’s Book Club Pick… Don and Mimi Galvin were seemingly living the American dream. After World War II, Don’s work with the AirForce brought them to Colorado, where they had twelve children that perfectly spanned the baby boom. Their oldest was born in 1945 and the youngest in 1965. On the surface, they followed the script for a perfect family but behind the scenes was a different story: psychological breakdown, sudden violence, and hidden abuse. Then in the mid-1970s, six of the ten Galvin boys, one after another, were diagnosed as schizophrenic.
Release Date: April 21, 2020
The new novel from the bestselling author of The Secret Life of Bees and The Invention of Wings... Ana was raised in a wealthy family with ties to the ruler of Galilee. She is rebellious and ambitious, with a brilliant mind and daring spirit. Ana is expected to marry an older widower, a prospect that horrifies her. Everything changes when she has an encounter with eighteen-year-old Jesus.
Release Date: April 14, 2020
The third and final book in The Interdependency series by New York Times Bestselling Author John Scalzi… The collapse of the interstellar pathway known as The Flow has accelerated. Entire star systems and billions of people are being cut off from the rest of human civilization. This was all foretold through scientific prediction but many still try to rationalize these final days of one of the greatest empires humanity has ever known.
Release Date: March 24, 2020
The first book in the new Sugar Mountain Series by bestselling author Kirsten Fullmer… The cozy mountain town of Sugar Mountain harbors a secret society of women. The society itself is no secret but the true nature of the group is hush-hush. When a blood-smeared package shows up at the post office and a scheme threatens postmaster, Heidi Collinsworth’s historic home, the Sugar Mountain Ladies Historical Society takes matters into their own hands. Heidi is sure that Mayor Winslow is somehow involved but proof is scarce.
Release Date: April 1, 2020
After he witnesses a tragedy that evokes childhood nightmares, Larry Cooper begins to question his heritage. Maybe he is not who he thinks he is? All families have scars and some are less visible than others… Larry’s father has been haunted by an unspoken past. As his health begins to deteriorate, his mother’s only instinct is to protect her husband and their family’s reputation. What she knows would devastate the people she loves.
Release Date: March 10, 2020
I did not know her name, but I heard her laugh, tasted her lips, and felt her skin as I held her. She was my soulmate. Together we watched our children playing in the sand, the warm ocean lapping as the shore behind them. This was our beautiful forever… But then I woke up alone in a hospital room. There was no wife, no kids, and not a single soul waiting for me. That life never existed.
Release Date: April 1, 2020
If given a choice of go big or go home, nine times out of ten the townspeople of Arnold Falls will go home and forget about the whole thing. Tempests great and small (mostly small) are always brewing in this tiny town where half the residents are fighting to preserve its red-light district heyday, half are up to no good, and another half are sleeping it off… Yes, that math is correct. Spend some time in this oddball village, where larger than life characters deal with the smallest of problems. Somehow it all comes right in the end.
Take a look at this month’s selection of bestsellers now in paperback! April had a great selection of bestselling books to check out from thrilling mysteries to enthralling literary reads, and insightful biographies. Pick up these latest paperback books by bestselling authors Le Child, Michael Connelly, Lisa Scottoline, Elizabeth Gilbert, Jennifer Weiner, Pierce Brown, and many more!
We wanted to share with you some of our favorite audiobooks we’ve been listening to in April. Our playlist includes a little something for everyone from mystery, literary fiction, memoir, fantasy, and romance. Grab your headphones and happy listening!
Thirty years ago a feral boy named Wilde was found in the woods with no memory of his past. To this day he still doesn’t know where he comes from… and another child has gone missing. No one is taking the disappearance of Naomi Pine seriously, except for television criminal attorney, Hester Crimstein. When Hester asks Wilde to use his unique skills to help find her, he can’t ignore an outcast in trouble.
The third book in The Gift Series by New York Times Bestselling Author Lauren Blakely… The rules were pretty simple. It was just one weekend. We would play our roles and I would get the info I needed for a secret work project. Then everything would go back to normal. That is what I proposed to handsome, clever, commanding Jake. That is what he said yes to. But that’s not what happened.
The second book in the Tangled Fae series by USA Today Bestselling Author Sarah K. Wilson… All Allie Hunter thought she had to do was make an exchange to buy back her father’s life. She was very wrong. Usually when a mortal is wrong about something in the Faeworld is kills them, or mires them in bargains that will suck their life out. Allie is now caught in a cage and the Fae she once tormented is her captor. Can she strike the right bargain to save everything she loves?
When Madeleine Albright left office as America’s first secretary of state in 2001, reporters asked her how she wished to be remembered. She said she did not want to be remembered. “I am here and have much more I intend to do. As difficult as it might seem, I want every stage of my life to be more exciting than the last.” This memoir reveals this remarkable figure at her bluntest, funniest, most intimate, and most serious.
The world has changed around seventy-nine-year-old Millicent Carmichael. The librarian is quick to admit she found her role as housewife and mother less than satisfying but Missy led a good life driven by two children, an accomplished husband, and a Classics degree from Cambridge. But now they are all gone and she spends her days sipping sherry, avoiding people, and rattling in her oversized, under-decorated house.
She wasn’t meant to cross my path. She was never meant to know about the Currency of Secrets or the Oaths of Blood. Then like a thief in the night, she stole my soul. I am a member of the Elite and I live by simple tenets. I must be a gentleman above all. Private matters stay private and secrets are never revealed. Enemies and friends are of the same coin.
Does your reading list need some new biography and memoir books? Stop your search because we've made a list of some of our favorite new reads. You'll love the latest books by Cindy Collins, Paula May, Joanna Walden, Robert Kolker, Val Kilmer, and James Patterson. Enjoy your new books!
Release Date: April 11, 2020
Born Under The Gaslight is the new memoir from Cindy Collins that provides an honest, poignant, and heartbreaking firsthand account of what it is like to live with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) and the trauma she endured as a child that led to her descent into the dark world of BPD. This book chronicles her childhood of abuse, her diagnosis in her twenties, and her ultimate road to recovery.
Release Date: April 14, 2020
First Degree Rage is the true story of "The Assassin," an obsession, and murder... This new book follows local Sheriff's Detective Paula May and her investigation of the murder of Viktor Gunnarsson. What follows is an intense, hair raising investigation that will shock you from the bitterly cold beginning to the unthinkable end. "There was no brown in his eyes at all. They were just two black buttons. I looked in his eyes. All I saw was solid black against the whites. It wasn’t natural. It was… creepy, unnerving, demonic." - Detective Paula May
Release Date: April 2, 2020
Living through 9/11 in New York, Joanna Walden experienced a moment of clarity, one that pushed her to search for something greater than her 9-5 existence. After leaving her high-flying career on Madison Avenue, she hiked the Camino de Santiago through Spain, which was the beginning of her search for both purpose and a greater truth. “I couldn’t put it down! Walden’s story is a no holds barred honest, and often hilarious exploration of one woman’s search for her true self. She’s a kiwi Cheryl Strayed.” Ann Glamuzina, Author of Rich Man Road.
Release Date: April 7, 2020
A recent Oprah's Book Club Pick... Don and Mimi Galvin were seemingly living the American dream. After World War II, Don's work with the AirForce brought them to Colorado, where they had twelve children that perfectly spanned the baby boom. Their oldest was born in 1945 and the youngest in 1965. On the surface, they followed the script for a perfect family but behind the scenes was a different story: psychological breakdown, sudden violence, and hidden abuse. Then in the mid-1970s, six of the ten Galvin boys, one after another, were diagnosed as schizophrenic.
Release Date: April 21, 2020
In his new autobiography, Val Kilmer shares the stories behind his most beloved roles, reminisces about his career and love life, and reveals the truth behind his recent health struggles. Taken from the famous line Kilmer delivers as Holliday in Tombstone, I'm Your Huckleberry is a deeply moving reflection on mortality and the mysteries of life.
Release Date: April 13, 2020
The House of Kennedy is a revealing and fascinating look at America's most storied family told by one of America's most trusted storytellers, New York Times Bestselling Author James Patterson. Explore the story of a family that has occupied a place in the American imagination for decades.
Looking to add some fantastic new adventures to your reading list? You won't want to miss our recommendations for new Sci-Fi and Fantasy books! Check out the latest by bestselling authors Eileen Mueller, Ryan W. Aslesen, Jeffrey L. Kohanek, Jude Austin, Shannon Mayer, and John Scalzi. Happy reading!
Release Date: April 16, 2020
A collection of the first three books in the Riders of Fire series by bestselling author Eileen Mueller... Ezaara is swept into a world she never dreamed of when she imprints with a dragon queen. Her new world is full of dragons, treachery, intrigue, and danger. As the Queen's Rider, she must lead her people as Commander Zens and his army rampage across Dragon's Realm. She must stop them from killing and enslaving innocents. But who can she trust when political intrigue puts her life in danger?
Release Date: April 1, 2020
"War's Edge puts the military back into military science fiction, in what is destined to be considered a classic along the lines of Starship Troopers, Dune, and The Forever War." In the 35th Century, mankind has colonized the vast reaches of space. Yet war remains constant as galactic governments and interstellar corporations fight for control of resource-rich planets and lucrative trade routes. In a desperate attempt to escape his current life, Mark Rizer enlists in the United States Alliance defense forces. A decision that will take him across the galaxy.
Release Date: April 7, 2020
This collection includes the first three books in the Fate of Wizardoms series by Jeffrey L. Kohanek... The boxed set includes Eye of Obscurance, Balance of Magic, and Temple of Oracle. It is a rebirth of classic epic fantasy and perfect for fans of Lord of the Rings, The Witcher, and Wheel of Time.
Release Date: March 28, 2020
The second book in the Projects series by Jude Austin... After escaping imprisonment in the laboratory of GenTech, former college student Kalin Taylor, aka Kata, just wants to go back to his homeworld of Trandella with his friend Tau. He just wants to forget what happened. Too bad life had other plans. Everyone who meets him, including his own rulers, see him as a weapon to be turned on his enemies.
Release Date: April 23, 2020
The second book in The Forty Proof Series by USA Today Bestselling Author Shannon Mayer... Moving back to Savannah changed my life. I got a new job, new friends, and I was far from my ex-husband as possible. But I didn't count on the Shadow World intensifying its hold on my life. I wasn't surprised when a new job lands in my lap watching over a fairy ring.
Release Date: April 14, 2020
The third and final book in The Interdependency series by New York Times Bestselling Author John Scalzi... The collapse of the interstellar pathway known as The Flow has accelerated. Entire star systems and billions of people are being cut off from the rest of human civilization. This was all foretold through scientific prediction but many still try to rationalize these final days of one of the greatest empires humanity has ever known.
Have you been searching for your next favorite literary fiction novel? Don't miss our list of must-read literary fiction books from bestselling authors L. Paul Dorsey, Kasie Whitener, Sherilyn Decter, Sheena Howard, Sue Monk Kidd, and Paulette Jiles. Enjoy your new books!
After he witnesses a tragedy that evokes childhood nightmares, Larry Cooper begins to question his heritage. Maybe he is not who he thinks he is? All families have scars and some are less visible than others... Larry's father has been haunted by an unspoken past. As his health begins to deteriorate, his mother's only instinct is to protect her husband and their family's reputation. What she knows would devastate the people she loves.
Tony killed himself on Monday night. Three thousand miles away. Brian Listo is going home to Virginia. He has returned to eat crow and beg for forgiveness. He wants to explain himself to anyone who will listen. Except for the one person who can no longer hear him. Tony used to always cover for Brian. He would make his most heinous sins seem like minor infractions. But without Tony's defense, he must learn to apologize.
The first book in The Rum Runner's Chronicles by bestselling author Sherilyn Decter... Florida Coast, 1932. Edith Duffy might be grieving her gangster husband's death, but she is no damsel in distress. After leaving the bootlegging world of Philadelphia, she settles in a small town outside Miami. When she launches a run-running operation for a speakeasy, indignant locals try to destroy her.
"This book promises to haunt, anger, console, and ultimately inspire anyone who opens it." -Marc Lamont Hill... Nina Chandler knows there is no such thing as perfect love. Even so, love is the one thing that is missing from her almost perfect life. She has worked hard to turn her dreams into reality, but with her twenties almost over, it feels like she slept through the party and woke up to find everyone gone.
The new novel from the bestselling author of The Secret Life of Bees and The Invention of Wings... Ana was raised in a wealthy family with ties to the ruler of Galilee. She is rebellious and ambitious, with a brilliant mind and daring spirit. Ana is expected to marry an older widower, a prospect that horrifies her. Everything changes when she has an encounter with eighteen-year-old Jesus.
The new release from the New York Times Bestselling Author of News of the World and Enemy Women... The long and bitter War between the States is winding down. Until now, Simon Boudin has evaded military duties thanks to his slight stature, youthful appearance, and talent for bending the truth. But after a barroom brawl, he finds himself conscripted into the Confederate Army.
L.P. Dover is a New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author of Contemporary Romance. Some of her popular recent releases include Easy Revenge, Dangerous Game, In the Crossfire, and Love Again. If you're in the mood for a sexy new romance novel, look no further than these books to read if you like L.P. Dover!
Release Date: April 15, 2020
I was pretty good at living without regrets until a very close call during a skydive. For most people, their life flashes before their eyes, I just saw one face... Presley. She was the woman I loved ten years ago. She was the woman I had to walk away from. At first, I just wanted to get her out of my head but as soon as I saw her again, I had to win her back at any cost.
Release Date: April 21, 2020
The first book in the See No Evil Trilogy by Nana Malone... She wasn't meant to cross my path. She was never meant to know about the Currency of Secrets or the Oaths of Blood. Then like a thief in the night, she stole my soul. I am a member of the Elite and I live by simple tenets. I must be a gentleman above all. Private matters stay private and secrets are never revealed. Enemies and friends are of the same coin.
Release Date: April 12, 2020
For a limited time, you can get the entire Highest Bidder series from bestselling authors Lauren Landish and Willow Winters in one collection. This box set includes four full-length, stand-alone romance books featuring demanding, rich, and powerful men.
Release Date: April 18, 2020
Sawyer LaGrange is my best friend's older brother. He is quiet, brooding, and sinfully sexy. He always does what's right... Until me. They say that you get in life what you have the courage to ask for. I am brave and I want him.
Release Date: April 1, 2020
Jayson the rockstar is as skilled as he is hot. I never thought I would be attracted to an alpha jerk like but he is all I ever think about. To be honest, I don't really have a choice... he is my next door neighbor and always on my mind (and my ears). And now I am carrying a piece of him... I'm carrying his baby.
Release Date: April 21, 2020
The second book in the Life of Debauchery Duet by bestselling author M. Robinson... Once upon a time there was a girl who believed in happily ever afters. She was hoping, praying, and waiting for her prince to come. Together they would slay dragons, demons, and villains... until her Prince Charming lets his demons prevail.
Ellery Adams is a New York Times Bestselling Author of cozy mystery novels. Some of her popular releases include the Antiques & Collectibles Mysteries, Secret Book & Scone Society, and A Book Retreat Series. If you're in the mood for a fun new cozy mystery novel, you won't want to miss these books to read if you like Ellery Adams. Enjoy!
Release Date: March 25, 2020
The sixth book in A Rachel Prince Mystery Series by Dawn Brookes... Rachel Prince is about to embark on the holiday of a lifetime onboard the Coral Queen accompanied by her parents and her octogenarian friend, Lady Marjorie Snellthorpe. The company is shocked when a nun collapses and dies. First thoughts suggest natural causes but Rachel is not convinced. She believes the death is suspicious, particularly when her father shares the nun's dying words. It's Rachel's most dangerous challenge to date.
Release Date: February 11, 2020
The fifth book in The 9 Lives Cozy Mystery Series by Louise Clark... The long-promised Jamieson-Armstrong family camping trip has to pause when news emerges of a murder at the local fish farm where the families recently visited. Now to make things worse, it looks like their campsite neighbor's brother-in-law, Adam, is the prime suspect. Christy, Sledge, and Stormy the cat, start asking questions at the mayor's office and quickly form a list of distinguished suspects.
Release Date: April 7, 2020
Eleanor Swift has been traveling the world for the past few years. She has had tea in China, tasted alligator in Peru, escaped bandits in Persia, and has just arrived back in England. Chipstone is probably the sleepiest town you could have the misfortune to meet. Adding to the indignities... she's now a Lady. Now going by Lady Eleanor, she has reluctantly returned to her uncle's home, Henley Hall. Now that Lord Henley is gone, she is the owner of the manor. As she walks through the countryside she is shocked to see a man shot and killed in the distance.
Release Date: April 14, 2020
The 22nd novel in the Miss Julia Series by New York Times Bestselling Author Ann B. Ross... Miss Julia has decided to stop meddling in other peoples' lives. But it doesn't take long for her hands to be full once again. Her neighbor Mildred is sent into a tizzy when a grandchild she has never met appears on her doorstep. Luckily, Miss Julia has experience dealing with children dropped on doorsteps and offers to lend a hand.
Release Date: March 24, 2020
The fifth book in A Cranberry Cove Mystery Series by USA Today Bestselling Author Peg Cochran... After a night of heavy snow, newlyweds Monica and Greg are nestled before a warm fire when they are roused by a late-night knock at the door. There they find a confused woman that claims someone is trying to kill her. Sensing distress but not danger, Monica decides to help the mystery woman. Her clouded recollections yield little results... until she dredges up a memory of her sister and a nearby home, where they find the woman's sister dead.
Release Date: April 14, 2020
The fifth book in the Wine & Dine Mysteries Series by New York Times Bestselling Author Gemma Halliday... Even though Emmy Oak started her career as a personal chef to the stars, she is very content being home at her family's Oak Valley Vineyards and running the small winery. When one of her past clients purchases a vacation home in Wine Country, she happily accepts to cater her housewarming party. What started out as a Hollywood-worthy affair ends in tragedy when a guest is killed... and everyone is a suspect.
What can you tell us about your new release, After December?
It’s the final version of the first book I ever wrote. I grew up with these characters. Tony’s suicide is a combination of three deaths that happened when I was in college, only one of which was intentional. I worked with whether to let it be an overdose or make it a suicide and finally chose the latter because there’s a specific kind of grief for the people left behind. So it’s told from Brian’s perspective as he’s working through the earliest days of his grief. The book takes place in just six days, the first six days after Tony died, and the intensity of the experience is surreal. There’s a lot of drinking, a lot of fighting, and some regret and guilt. But there’s also redemption and hope as there must necessarily be when you’re only 22 and you have your whole life ahead of you, as Brian does.
What or who inspired you to become an author?
I have wanted to be a writer since I can remember. I’d trace it back to seventh grade English class in California, and my teacher, Mrs. Sutherland who I honored by using her last name for After December’s “Kacie” character. I loved all the V.C. Andrews books that were popular in the late 80s. Reading like it was my job and missing my Virginia friends turned into writing my first novel in four spiral notebooks. More recently, my best bud Jodie Cain Smith was publishing her first novel when we met and she pushed and pulled me through the five years it’s taken to bring After December to print.
What's on your top 5 list for the best books you've ever read?
The Bronze Horseman by Paullina Simons, Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk, Three Two One by JA Huss, The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway, The Hottest State by Ethan Hawke
All five of those books left me breathless in different ways. They may not be “the best” I’ve ever read, I earned an MA reading classics like Huckleberry Finn and learning from geniuses like Walker Percy and Clive Edgerton. But those five left me breathless and that’s what I want my books to do.
Say you're the host of a literary talk show. Who would be your first guest? What would you want to ask?
I am the host of a literary talk show. We have a radio show on makethepointradio.com every Saturday at 9 a.m. called Write On SC and we talk about the craft and we talk about South Carolina authors. I’d love to have an author whose books have been made into films, like Cassandra Clare. I’d want to know what that process felt like. I’d also like to have an author who had a book banned, like Nic Stone, and learn what that experience was like. Maybe have someone who’s sold a million copies, like Margaret Atwood, and learn what that was like.
What's your favorite thing about writing?
I like hearing the voices in my head. When my characters are telling me their stories, when they’re standing over my shoulder making sure I get it right, I love the high of creating that new thing, getting it down, and trying to get it as accurate as possible. My favorites came out of NaNoWriMo where I was forced to write 2000 words a day on a single project and just got to revel in those characters’ voices and the experiences they were having.
What is a typical day like for you?
I walk every morning at 8 a.m. with my publisher and friend, Alexa. Then I work from 9 until 4 on a variety of projects. If I’m teaching, I have class at scheduled times, otherwise I’m creating new content. Sometimes videos, sometimes blogs, sometimes new work for the upcoming Before Pittsburgh, a follow up to After December. I work six days a week, including Saturday, and writer at least 2000 words a day, though not always on the same project.
What scene in After December was your favorite to write?
I love Friday night with Kacie and Brian at her sister’s house. Kacie is angry with Tony and we get that take on the week’s experience that we haven’t seen yet. The sadness has soaked them all to this point and Friday night, Kacie lets her anger out and it’s refreshing and honest and a little heartbreaking. But it’s also where we see the strength of their bond, Kacie and Brian’s, and start to understand a little bit better how they love each other.
Do you have a motto, quote or philosophy you live by?
True to my cheesy teenage roots, my motto comes from a Hillary Duff flick (A Cinderella Story):
Never let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game.
It’s painted on the wall in my office and reminds me to give it a shot, whatever it is, because failure isn’t fatal.
Kasie Whitener is the author of the new book After December.
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